SCIENCE OF FOXHUKTING. 249 



greater^ enjoyment of the chase, and with experi- 

 ence may manage his establishment pleasantly and 

 economically. For his two days a week, with an 

 occasional bye, twenty-five couples of hounds are 

 sufficient, seventeen, or at most eighteen, being quite 

 enough to bring into the field, thus having a re- 

 serve in kennel of seven couples, for accidents or 

 other contingencies. Every hound ought to work 

 two days at least in the week, to keep him in proper 

 condition and wind, and young ones cannot well 

 have too much. To hunt two days or four is far 

 preferable to the odd numbers of three and five, 

 which throw a pack out of order. Tuesday and 

 Saturday are the most convenient, so that if sport 

 on the first day is bad, a short bye on Thursday 

 will set them right, and then the pack will be quite 

 ready for Saturday again. If hounds have long 

 distances to travel on foot before reaching their 

 places of meeting, that also must be taken into ac- 

 count, since late hours and long days take nearly 

 as much out of hounds and horses as sharp work, 

 with a quick return to kennel or stable. 



The cost of keeping twenty-five couples of hounds 

 may be easily reckoned, as one pound of dry oat- 

 meal is, on an average, the daily allowance to a 

 middle-sized hound, which, when boiled and mked 

 with fiesli and broth, will be found ample. The 

 price of horse-flesh varies very much with the 

 locality, the highest never exceeding a sovereign, 

 and one horse is sufficient to give a good supply of 

 beef for a week. In the neighbourhood of large 



